Character witnesses: Dixon often said things he didn't mean

GRAHAM — The defense rested and the state announced it wouldn’t call rebuttal witnesses Thursday in a capital murder trial that’s lasted more than a month.

The judge also denied the defense’s motion to dismiss charges against Robert Dennis Dixon, 49, for lack of evidence. Dixon is accused of hiring two men to kill his stepmother in 2007 and could face the death penalty if found guilty.

Jurors will hear closing arguments in the case Tuesday.

On the last day of testimony, the defense called seven character witnesses who were close to Dixon or the Dixon family.

Milton Marshburn Jr., a lifelong friend, testified that Dixon is “loyal to a fault,” “gullible” and easily taken advantage of. When Dixon became angry, he often said things he didn’t mean, Marshburn said.

“In all the years I’ve known him, I’ve never known him to hurt a fly,” Marshburn said.

Earlier in the trial, witnesses testified to hearing Dixon say he would pay $5,000 for someone to kill Sara Dixon, and that he would kill her if he could get away with it. Marshburn said those sounded typical of angry — but meaningless — statements his friend sometimes made.

The worst thing Marshburn ever heard Dennis Dixon say about his stepmother was that he wished she’d never entered their lives.

Dixon testified that he commonly used the phrase “I’d pay $5,000 for …” when he wanted something. Under cross-examination, Marshburn said he’d never heard Dixon mention the specific amount, but had heard Dixon say he’d “pay for” things.

Travis Martin, the oldest son of Dixon’s former fiancée, testified that Dixon was devoted to his mother and siblings. Martin also testified that he was in a wreck several weeks before Sara Dixon was killed. Part of Dennis Dixon’s alibi involves calling Thomas Friday the night of Nov. 28, 2007, to tow Martin’s wrecked car home from an auto body shop.

Five other witnesses described the bond between Dennis Dixon and his father, Cardwell Dixon, and the possible troubles between Cardwell Dixon and his second wife, Sara Dixon.

When Cardwell Dixon suffered a stroke in 2004, Sara Dixon was appointed as his health care guardian, and a third-party administrator began selling pieces of the Dixons’ property to pay for his nursing home bills.

The defense argues that Friday acted alone in killing Sara Dixon and then extorted money from Dennis Dixon.

Attorneys will meet with Superior Court Judge Osmond W. Smith III on Friday morning to determine instructions the judge will give jurors when they begin deliberation next week.

Defense attorneys Terry Alford and Stephen Freedman will each make closing statements lasting an hour or longer, they told the judge Thursday. Alamance County Assistant District Attorney Sean Boone’s closing argument should last about two hours, he said.